Where to Spend New Year’s Eve in Atlanta

New Year’s Eve in Atlanta can be pretty wild … and a whole lot of fun. Ring in 2016 with friends, family, co-workers and a lot of strangers ready to party. Here are plenty of ways to kiss 2015 adios and knock back more than a few glasses of bubbly. Take a look at some of our favorite New Year’s Eve events in Atlanta sure to satisfy everyone in your squad.

The peach will drop … fingers crossed … once again

Things were getting hairy with Atlanta’s Annual Peach Drop. In fact, when I first penned this article, city officials had NOT announced whether or not this New Year’s tradition would happen. (Underground Atlanta was recently sold to an out-of-state developer, and the Peach Drop locale has been in limbo.) However, Mayor Reed literally just announced that the Peach Drop will, in fact, happen. We’re still waiting on the details, so the best way to plan your evening around this event is to pay close attention to local news agencies and social media feeds since the updates are trickling in.

Say goodbye to Andrews Entertainment District

The Peach Drop may have squeaked by for another year, but we do have to cope with our last New Year’s Eve at Andrews Entertainment District (the development and its eight bars/clubs/restaurants, will close its doors at the start of the New Year). That being said, this Buckhead mainstay is going out with a bang with multiple parties! If you like comedy, head to Atlanta Improv to see TJ Miller perform ($38 to $45 for tickets for either the 7:30 p.m. or 10:15 p.m. show). If you want to party, head out to the Buckhead New Year’s Eve Block Party (admission ranging from $125 to $175, depending on general or VIP status); and if you just want to dance your tush off, head to Burn Social Club, featuring DJ Kidd Starr ($15 per ticket; doors open at 9 p.m.).

Party like it’s 1929!

Want to go to a party that’s just the bee’s knees?! Join The Cockentrice for a New Year’s Eve event celebrating the wonderful Jazz Age. Doors open at 7 p.m. for punch and a charcuterie reception. Next comes a grand tasting dinner with perfect wine pairings at 8:30 p.m., followed by desserts and drinks at 10:30 p.m., and, of course, a Champagne toast and balloon drop. The Micah Cadwell Trio will provide live jazz all night, so make sure to bring your dancing shoes. The event costs $150 per person, plus tax and gratuity; call (470) 428-2733 or visit the website for reservations.

Party like its 1969!

Ponce City Market’sThe Mercury hasn’t even opened yet, and we’re all chomping at the bit to get a taste (figurative and literal) of this eatery, inspired by the culture of the ’60s. To celebrate their upcoming opening, the restaurant is throwing a New Year’s Eve party, complete with live entertainment, food and signature cocktails from The Mercury. The event starts at 8:30 p.m., and all-inclusive tickets are $100.

If you like the letter B …

Your New Year’s is set if you enjoy “Bourbon, Bubbles and Bluegrass!” Make your reservations at White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails for their fourth annual event featuring an exclusive five-course dinner menu, bourbon flights, wine pairings, bubbly and live music from The Jason Kenney String Band. Reserve your spot now by calling (404) 524-7200 or visiting the website. The event costs $65 per person ($100 with wine pairings).

KIC … keep it casual

If you’re not willing to sit through a five-course meal or just don’t have a ton of cash to spend on New Year’s, take the laid-back approach and head to Cypress Street Pint & Plate in Midtown. For $15 at the door, which opens at 7 p.m., enjoy a cool group of buds watching college football, drinking $2 Sweetwater IPA and $5 well drinks, pigging out at the midnight breakfast buffet and, of course, toasting the new year with Champagne.

NYE in the OTP

Head out to Sandy Springs and enjoy a special, three-course New Year’s Eve menu at MAYA Steaks and Seafood. The intimate restaurant offers delicious steaks and seafood options with a Spanish flair, and diners can choose from five different seating times that night, starting at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is $55 per person, plus tax and gratuity; for an additional $35 per person, you can enjoy three hand-selected wines paired with each course. Call (404) 705-8880 or visit mayasteaks.com for more information and to make a reservation.

Party for a good cause

Have a great time and do something good for others with the Rat Pack New Year’s Eve event at Crowne Plaza Ravinia. For one night, you’ll be taken to “Vegas” and enjoy great food, fun and entertainment from Atlanta’s Rat Pack and Deborah Bowman and her eight-piece band. Make sure to bring five canned goods, benefiting Atlanta Community Food Bank, when the doors open at 8 p.m. and you’ll receive $2,000 in poker chips! Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased here.

Dive into yacht rock

Yacht rock isn’t just a type of music; it’s a way of life. Experience your favorite smooth musicians at Park Tavern starting at 9 p.m. Yacht Rock Revue and Yacht Rock Schooner will have you “sailing” into the new year at this awesome, all-inclusive party featuring cocktails, food, a midnight breakfast buffet and Champagne toast. Tickets cost $115, however group tickets (for parties of 20 or more) reduce the price to $92, so grab your pals and buy your tickets together.

Anniversary of the New Year and Twain’s

Celebrate the New Year AND the 20th anniversary of Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards! Head out to Decatur and get your $20 tickets at the door, so you can be treated to light snacks and finger foods, six 6-ounce pours of Twain’s house-brewed ales, a Champagne toast at midnight and a commemorative 20th anniversary glass! The party starts at 9 p.m.

Time to dig in

Sure, New Year’s is about the bubbly and finding that perfect kiss at midnight. But before you pop in an Altoid for that midnight smooch, get your fill with the prix fixe menu at Vine & Tap. For $85, enjoy a three-course meal, featuring items like diver scallops, butter-poached lobster and panna cotta. If you really want to intensify the meal, add $45 for wine pairings ($55 for bubbly pairings). Make a reservation by visiting Vine & Tap’s website.

Make New Year’s Eve a hole in one

For all the golf enthusiasts who can’t stay away from the green, even on a holiday, celebrate the New Year at TopGolf Midtown. The fun starts at 9 p.m., when a live DJ will keep the crowd dancing, and specialty cocktails will be flowing. You can either reserve a general bay (for up to six people) for $75, which includes party favors (food, drinks and game play are separate), or you can make an all-inclusive bay reservation for $450, which includes unlimited play, unlimited nonalcoholic beverages, one bottle of Champagne, party favors and special event shareable dishes (for up to six people). Or you can just pay $10 at the door to get in and pay for everything else once you get there. Get more information at the TopGolf NYE party’s site.

Hope you say goodbye to 2015 in style, whether at a loud event with hundreds of your closest friends, or at a quiet house party, watching the ball drop with a glass of bubbly Champagne. No matter what route you take, we hope everyone has a very happy and safe New Year’s Eve!